Illinois college student, Anna Bachman, poses for photo on San Diego cliff, falls to her death

A grad student from Illinois fell to her death while on vacation in California as she was posing for a picture.

Anna Bachman, age 25, a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, was vacationing along the California coastline around Sunday afternoon when police say a single misstep cost her her life.

“She was having her picture taken there on Sunset cliffs. She stepped off the cliff and fell to her death,” said San Diego police Detective Gary Hassen.

Hassen described the victim as falling about 40 to 50 feet. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

A witness speaking to WLS said two nurses and “a couple surfers that were in the water” came to the woman’s immediate help.

“Despite bystander resuscitative efforts, her death was confirmed by responding paramedics,” the San Diego Medical Examiner stated Monday.

The death has been ruled an accident and alcohol is not believed to have played a factor, according to police.

About the Author

Kaye Wonderhouse - Catherine "Kaye" Wonderhouse, a proud descendant of the Wunderhaus family is the Colorado Correspondent who will add more coverage, interviews and reports from this midwest area.